Hackamore bridle



Sept. 22, 1964 c. R. SMITH 3,149,448

HACKAMORE BRIDLE Filed May 31, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f Z4 25 '3 l5 l2 FN l6 3 3 1. Q r L1; T I in 9 /6 7b ,7 E ,4

\ zz i 5 23 J, E I7 5 i H Ea m m INVENTOR. Cecil Raymond Smiih Se t. 22, 1964 c. R. SMITH 3,149,443

HACKAMORE BRIDLE Filed May 31, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Cecil Raymond Smith BY 9%; fix a4) Atrys.

United States Patent 3,149,448 HACKAMORE BRIDLE Cecil Raymond Smith, Box 29, Clarkston, Wash. Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 199,086 6 Claims. (Cl. 54-6) My invention relates to hackamore bridles for training horses to obey the commands of the rider that are communicated through the reins. The term hackamore bridle is often used in the art to designate those head gears for horses that do not have a piece going through the horses month. These devices are also referred to as bitless bridles, hackamores and halters.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a device of the above character which is particularly useful in training a horse to obey the reins and which comprises a pair of jaw engaging levers, each pivoted to the nose piece of the head gear in such a way that it may be swung up against the adjacent jaw bone by a pull on the rein on that side without causing the other lever to swing against the other jaw bone.

In teaching a horse to neck-rein, one must teach him that when the rein presses against one side of his neck, he is to turn in the direction away from that rein. Proper training in this response is very useful because it enables the rider to direct the horse without pulling up his head or otherwise upsetting his balance. When a horse has been trained to respond to neck-reining promptly, he can be directed with a minimum of effort.

My invention provides an elfective means to train the horse to respond to the pressure of a rein against his neck. It enables the rider to apply, simultaneously with the pulling of the rein against the side of the horses neck, a sharp pressure against the jaw bone on that side, thus causing the horse to turn his head in the right direction as indicated by the rein pressure.

The nature and advantages of my invention will appear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein the preferred form of my invention is shown. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and the following description are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention except as it is limited by the claims. Changes in the size and configuration of the parts may be made within the scope of the claims defining my invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a horses head with my improved hackamore bridle thereon;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front view of the device looking at it from the line 2-2 on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged rear view looking at FIG- URE 1 from the line 4-4; and

FIGURE 5 is a side view looking at FIGURE 4 from the line 55.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, my invention is applied to a hackamore bridle in which the head gear comprises conventional cheek straps 6, a brow band 5, a throat latch 7, a crown piece 8, a nose piece 9 and a chin strap 10. The check straps 6 are connected to the crown piece 8, the brow band 5 and the nose piece 9 in a conventional manner. The throat latch 7 and chin strap 10 are also connected to each other in a conventional manner.

My invention embodies a pivot pin 11 having cap nuts 12 and 13 on its ends. On this pin 11 there are three members pivoted. The center member 14 carries a ring 15 that mounts the lower end of the chin strap 10. The other two members on the pin 11 are levers 16 and 17. These levers have lower end rings 18 and 19 to which reins 20 and 21 attach. They also have means 22 and 23 adjacent to the pivot pin 11 for attachment of the nose piece 9. These means provide apertures to receive the loops 9a and 9b at the ends of the nose piece 9.

The levers 16 and 17 have extensions 24 and 25 thereon which extend beyond the pivot pin 11 along the jaw bones of the horse when the parts are assembled. These extensions are rounded to present smooth surfaces to the skin of the horse and such surfaces may be suitably padded, if desired, in any conventional manner.

The assembled hackamore bridle appears normally as shown in FIGURE 1. A rearward pull on both the reins causes the nose piece to press down on the nose of the horse with the free ends of the extensions 24 and 25 bearing against the ridges of the jaw bone of the horse. Thus the assembly is effective like any hackamore to stop the horse.

In training a horse to neck-rein the rider tightens one rein by pulling it against the side of the neck of the horse. With my invention when this is done the corresponding lever 16 or 17, and only this lever, is rotated on the pivot pin 11 to bring its extension 24 or 25 up against the jaw on that side only. The natural tendency of the horse is to move his head in a direction to relieve the pressure on his jaw. This causes him to turn his head in the desired direction. The pressure of the taut rein on the side of his neck aids in indicating to the horse the direction in which he is to turn. After a short time the horse recognizes the pressure of a rein on the side of his neck as an indication that his rider wishes him to turn away from the pressure. When this recognition becomes fixed the horse can be said to be trained to neck-rein.

The individual pivoting of the levers 16 and 17 makes it possible to use the hackamore bridle for this special training and yet use it as any other hackamore bridle for stopping the horse. When both reins are pulled together a very effective leverage is obtained to draw the nose piece down. The nose piece, as shown, is secured to the levers very close to the pivot pin 11. The slight oifset of the means 22 and 23 with respect to the pivot pin 11 has an advantage in providing comfort for the horse because it balances the levers 16 and 17 better than securing the nose piece 9 directly to the pivot pin 11 would do. In case of breakage or damage either lever 16 or 17 can be replaced with a like lever without sacrificing the whole assembly.

The foregoing description and the drawings are believed to illustrate the invention in sufiicient detail to enable others to understand and use my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a hackamore bridle, the combination with a supporting head gear having a nose piece, of a pair of levers each having a rein attaching means at one end and a jaw engaging bar at the other end;

a pivot member on which both of said levers are pivoted intermediate their ends;

each lever being pivoted on said pivot means independently of the other;

and means connected to the nose piece for supporting said levers and pivot member on the head gear.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said pivot member also has a chin strap attaching means mounted thereon between said levers.

3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting the levers and pivot member on the head gear comprises loops at the ends of the nose piece and an aperture in each lever between the pivot member and the rein receiving end of the lever receiving said loop.

4. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said pivot member is a pin and the levers have tubular portions receiving the pin.

3 5. In a hackamore bridle the combination with a supporting head gear having a nose piece and a chin strap;

pivot means;

a central member on said pivot means having a loop,

attached to the chin strap;

a pair of levers pivoted intermediate their ends on said pivot means and separated by said central member, each lever being free to pivot on said pivot means independently of the other; I

the nose piece being connected to each lever adjacent to the pivot means;

means to attach a rein to one end of each lever; and

each lever having a transversely extending jaw engaging portion at the other end.

6. A hackamore unit adapted to be connected to the nose piece of a supporting head gear and to the reins of a hackamore bridle said unit comprising:

a pivot member;

two levers each having a rein attaching means at one end, a jaw engaging bar at the other end having nose piece attaching means intermediate its ends; and

each of said levers having means intermediate its ends pivotally receiving said pivot member whereby one lever may be rocked independently of the other about said pivot member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 826,810 Udhaug July 24, 1906 2,630,660 Thomas Mar. 10, 1953 2,669,816 Pletsch Feb. 23, 1954 2,804,740 Newman Sept. 3, 1957 

6. A HACKAMORE UNIT ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE NOSE PIECE OF A SUPPORTING HEAD GEAR AND TO THE REINS OF A HACKAMORE BRIDLE SAID UNIT COMPRISING: A PIVOT MEMBER; TWO LEVERS EACH HAVING A REIN ATTACHING MEANS AT ONE END, A JAW ENGAGING BAR AT THE OTHER END HAVING NOSE PIECE ATTACHING MEANS INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS; AND EACH OF SAID LEVERS HAVING MEANS INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS PIVOTALLY RECEIVING SAID PIVOT MEMBER WHEREBY ONE LEVER MAY BE ROCKED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER ABOUT SAID PIVOT MEMBER. 